A Second Life
by gingerninja20697
Summary: Begins just after the episode 'Day One', but before 'Ghost Machine'. Follows the adventures of the Torchwood Team, with a new member (OC). changes to the original plots. Please read and review! :)
1. Crash Landing

The tears stream down my face as I gasp for breath. I can barely see through all the smoke as I initiate emergency protocol 3.2 in my shabby escape pod. This is not safe, I think to myself as I strap myself in. But it's my only chance of survival, and a risk I must take. For my family.

I can hear the metallic voices getting closer now, the rough timbre searing through my head. Just as I'm about to seal the pod, I hear them rolling into the room. It has to be now. I kiss my palm softly and hold it up to the thick glass of the pod.  
"Goodbye" I whisper as the escape pod begins to launch. The pod thrusts upwards suddenly, tearing through the roof above. As I'm launched through the atmosphere of my planet, I manage to get one fleeting glance. It's burning, the whole thing. It looks like an ember, fresh out of the fire, glowing a brilliant vermillion before it crumbles into ashes, the colour being extinguished by the ever persistent darkness.

The scanners in the escape pod flash and beep intermittently looking for habitable planets within range. Within a matter of seconds, the scanners lock on to a small planet and the pod lurches forward into deep space. I shut my eyes and hold on to the sides of the pod as it twists and turns unmercifully, tearing through space and time. I'm not quite sure how long passed before the shrill grinding sound of air resistance and the rising temperature of the cockpit signalled that the escape pod had entered another atmosphere. I kept my eyes tightly shut as I prayed I would survive the landing. There was no such thing as a safe landing in this escape pod. I heard an earsplitting screech as the rough metal of the pod collided with the surface of the planet. I felt the ground diverge beneath the pod and became aware of the feeling of falling. My mind struggled to keep up with the rapidly changing environment and I could feel my consciousness ebbing away. I fought to stay above the water in my mind that was threatening to pull me into its depths. Finally, the tumbling subsided and the escape pod came to stop, just as the water succeeded in dragging me into darkness.

*****************************************  
The eerie silence of the Torchwood Hub in the early hours of the morning was broken abruptly by the loud wailing of the rift monitors. Captain Jack Harkness lifted himself out of his bed and rubbed his eyes groggily. Of course, he thought to himself, one of the few nights he manages to get some sleep and the rift has to cut it short prematurely. Jack wasn't too surprised find Ianto Jones, a young Welshman, already at the hub tidying. He had a tendency to come in before everyone else, although Jack wasn't quite sure why.

"Morning, Ianto." Jack murmured

"Sir," Ianto dipped his head slightly in Jack's direction. "Something rather large and rather powerful has slipped through the rift this time." Ianto motioned towards a screen, displaying stats and information about the rift.

Jack sighed. "Can you get onto Tosh and Owen? I'll get Gwen. Looks like we're gonna need the whole team for this one."

Ianto nodded and walked away, drawing his mobile from his pocket. Toshiko Sato, Torchwood's tech whizz, answered on the first ring.

"Ianto? Is everything alright?" Tosh questioned, concern filling her voice.

"Yeah, Tosh, just something large and powerful has come through the rift. We need you back at the hub."

"I'll be right there," Tosh answered swiftly, before hanging up.

Next, Owen Harper, the team medic. Ianto groaned mentally. The young doctor was irritable enough on any normal day, but at 5 in the morning he was sure to be painfully grouchy.

"You had better have a bloody good reason for calling me so early," Owen snapped, not surprising Ianto.

"And I do; something substantial has come through the rift, Jack wants you here now." Ianto replied shortly.

"Oh, Joy. Fine." Owen growled before hanging up.

Not long after, the Hub's cog doors rolled open revealing Tosh, who was followed soon after by Owen.

"Right," Jack kicked into action immediately. "Owen, Ianto, you're with me. Tosh, you stay back and monitor things from here."

"What about Gwen?" Owen asked, as the team armed themselves and got ready to go.

"We're picking her up on the way. Right, Tosh, stay in contact." Jack ordered as he headed towards the door.

"Good luck!" Tosh called as they walked out.

The SUV sped down the sleepy streets of Cardiff, stopping briefly for Gwen Cooper, an ex-police woman, to jump in the car. Gwen was relatively new to Torchwood, having only been there for about a month. She mumbled a quick greeting as the car pulled away again. As the SUV barrelled towards the source of alarm, the sun was just peeking over the horizon, bathing the city and the bay in a warm orange colour. Jack briefed the team on what was known so far.

"Something large has landed in a forest area North of Cardiff. We need to find it as quickly as possible, and check for anything living. It generated a large burst of energy, so at this point we are unable to pinpoint its exact location, or whether there is any alien life, so we need to split up. Okay, ready everyone?" Jack gave them no time to reply as he swiftly exited car and began walking cautiously into the forest.

Owen, who was apparently not over his bad mood, was still complaining. "And we don't even know what we're looking for. Great start." He mumbled sarcastically, as he made his way into the foliage.

****************************************  
The shiny metal of the escape pod sizzled slightly in the damp vegetation. The girl that was inside it was just beginning to stir from unconsciousness. As she awoke she became aware of the pain all around her body. She reached out and pressed a red button, popping the escape pod open and allowing her to slide out. Right, she thought to herself as she stretched out, surveying herself for injuries, a dislocated shoulder, a few broken ribs, and... Looks like I've got a dislocated knee, too. Great. Slowly, she dragged herself over to a nearby tree and wedged her injured shoulder against it. With her good leg, she pushed her body upwards against her shoulder, in attempt to pop it back into position. It resulted in a loud grunt of pain, with her shoulder still dislocated.

"Hello? Is someone there?" Came a male voice, with a strong welsh accent.

The girl's eyes darted up to where the voice came from, but her view was obscured by thick vegetation. Maybe if she stayed quiet, the man would pass her without noticing her. But she heard footsteps creeping towards her, and suddenly a large branch of a tree that was hiding her was swept out of the way. A man, perhaps in his late 20's, stood looking down at the girl, before his eyes swiftly moved to the escape pod, still steaming, behind her. His hand reached up to tap the small communication device in his ear.

"Jack... Yeah, I've found it... Alright, bring the others... And there's a young girl here too... I'm not sure, but I think she's injured... Yeah, ok." The man's eyes returned to the girl. "Are you ok?" He asked her politely.

The girl, still unable to find her voice nodded slightly. Act innocent, she told herself, you were on a morning walk, and this thing came from the sky and threw you into a tree.

"Ianto!" Jack's American accent called from behind the trees.

"Back here, Jack." Ianto called back. The sound of many approaching footsteps frightened the girl, who began to shake slightly. The branches were suddenly pulled back, revealing three figures. Jack's eyes flew immediately to the escape pod, before falling upon the girl, a look of sympathy coming upon his features. Slowly, he crouched down in front of her. He reached out to her touch her shoulder, but she flinched back.

"It's okay, we won't hurt you. You're injured," Jack stated, noticing the unnatural set of her knee and shoulder. "Owen." Jack called back to the doctor, as he straightened up and walked over to the pod, motioning for Gwen and Ianto to follow. Owen walked over and laid his bag down on the grass next to the girl. His hands went straight to her injured shoulder.

"Okay, you have a dislocated shoulder and knee. I can fix it, but it might hurt a bit, okay?" Owen kept his voice strong and steady, trying to reassure the girl. She didn't reply, just stared numbly at him. "Ready? On the count of three, One, Two," before he got to three, Owen pushed against her shoulder, returning to its correct place. The girl moaned and shut her eyes tightly. "I need to do the same for your knee. Okay. On the count of three again." But this time, he popped it back before he even began to count. The girl gasped and kept her eyes tightly shut. "Are you hurt anywhere else?" Owen asked, reaching into his bag for a pair of rubber gloves.

"No," she breathed, opening her eyes slightly. "Th-thank you..." She stammered, fear still colouring her voice. Owen glanced up at her skeptically. It was clear to him that he had only scratched the surface of her injuries.

"This will only take a second," he said, as he reached out to her. Her eyes followed his hands suspiciously as he felt over her head, before moving down to her stomach, fingers probing her ribs. He didn't miss her wincing as he felt over her broken ribs. His hands then moved down to her legs, noticing the many cuts and bruises. He then reached into his pocket and pulled out a penlight, lifting her eyelids gently and shining it into each eye.  
"Okay. You're okay, apart from a few broken ribs and cuts and bruises covering just about your whole body." At that moment the girl shivered, and Owen shrugged off his coat and laid it over her. "And you're in shock, too. We can drop you off at a hospital on the way back." He reached out and grabbed her wrist, feeling for a pulse. The girl tugged at her wrist, attempting to free it, but Owen held on firmly. Owen's eyes crinkled in confusion as he looked down at her. "On second thought, I think you should come back to the hub with us." He released her wrist and she pulled it back towards her body, fidgeting uncomfortably.

"Owen," Jack called, walking back to where the doctor was packing up his bag again. "What's the verdict?" Owen filled Jack in on the girl's injuries, and then Jack glanced over to where she was hunched up against the tree.

"What's your name?" He asked.

The girl thought for a second before replying. "Emily." She stated. Jack didn't look convinced.

"Do you know anything about this?" He asked, motioning toward the escape pod behind him.

"No, I was, uh, on a morning walk, and uh, it came from nowhere and threw me against the tree." She finished uncertainly

Owen glanced at Jack. "I think she should come back to the hub with us." He stated simply. Jack nodded in agreement.

"Okay, Gwen, Ianto, finish up over there. I'll organise it to be moved later on today. Owen, help her to the SUV."

"No, I'm okay now, uh, my mother is expecting me home." The girl called out. She knew she had to make a run for it. They suspected her. She just needed to find the right time...

"No. You're coming back with us. Owen can check you over, and then we'll take you home. It won't take long." Jack replied firmly. Owen moved to help the girl up. She took his hand, and he hoisted her to her feet and put an arm around her waist, supporting her.

"It's okay, I can walk on my own." The girl said quietly. Owen seemed unsure, but let her go anyway, staying close behind her. I'll bolt as soon as we can see the car, she thought to herself.

"Tosh... Yeah, we're on our way back, doesn't look like any major threat... Alien life? I think... Yeah, I thought so. We've got her anyway. Talk soon." Jack, who had been talking into his comm, stopped and turned to look at the girl suspiciously. "So apparently, Tosh was able to scan for alien life, and she found it right next to us..." The girl blinked at Jack, expressionless. Without warning, she turned and dashed into the forest, Owen's grasp narrowly missing her arm. She ran in the direction of the road, thinking it would be better if she could get to civilisation. She could hear the others yelling as they ran behind her, in close pursuit. She chanced a glance backward, and could see Jack, his great military coat billowing out behind him, hot on her heels. Running was hard and she tried to ignore the sharp stabs of pain from her broken ribs and the dull, burning ache in her limbs. But she was good at running, if she could just outlast them... She heard the car start up behind her, and saw it tear down the road beside her. It stopped somewhere ahead, but she didn't have time to think about it as Jack's fingertips grazed her shoulder. She made a sharp turn and jumped out onto the road, gaining some distance from Jack and finding it easier to speed up on the paved surface. As she rounded a bend, the SUV suddenly loomed up in front of her, blocking her path. She swerved back into the foliage, but the short detour gave Jack the time he needed to lunge forward and wrap his arms tightly around her waist, pulling her back violently and causing her to fall to her knees.

"Jesus, Jack, take it easy, there's no need to injure her more." Owen scolded, getting out of the SUV and walking towards them.

"Sorry, just don't want anymore escape attempts." Jack panted. He still held the girl's shoulders firmly. The girl coughed, before making a valiant attempt to get back up. Jack's firm grip didn't loosen however, and she fell back to the ground, giving up. She groaned as the adrenaline began to wear off and the pain began to make itself known. She shut her eyes tightly and could hear Jack and Owen talking in low voices, but she couldn't make out what they were saying. Suddenly a wave of nausea overcame her and she scrambled forward on her hands in time to throw up everything that had been in her stomach. She felt hands on her back as her stomach heaved, and to her surprise, they began rubbing soothing circles until she collapsed once more in a heap on the ground. Someone, she guessed Jack, lifted her gently off the ground and placed her in the back of the car. She opened her eyes slightly to see Owen digging through his bag, before pulling out a capped syringe. He looked down at her, and seeing her eyes open, smiled slightly before pulling back her sleeve. She was too weak to protest as the syringe slipped easily into her vein. She closed her eyes again as the drug took effect, and swept her into a painless, dreamless sleep.


	2. New Beginnings

"Do we know what species she is?" Gwen asked, breaking the silence in the SUV. They were almost back to the hub, and the journey had been so far quiet.

"Not sure; not until I can run more tests and see if it matches up with anything in the database," Owen replied. "Tell you what though... She looks completely human. If it weren't for her crazy pulse I wouldn't have thought otherwise."

"What exactly do you mean by 'crazy pulse' Owen?" Jack called back from the front.

"Well, it almost seemed as though she had more than one heart, or at least some sort of superhuman one." Owen replied humorously.

Ianto laughed softly. "She can't be any sort of threat, though, can she? She didn't display any superhuman abilities whilst trying to escape."

"We can't rule out any possibilities just yet. Now, we have work to do." Jack replied firmly as he pulled into the parking space back at the Hub.

*****************************************  
It was almost noon at the Hub and Ianto was already passing around the third round of coffees. The team stood looking down into the med bay, watching Owen work. The girl lay on the table, still unconscious.

"How long is she going to be asleep for?" Gwen asked.

"Don't know. The sedative should've worn off by now, I guess she must just be tired," Owen explained. He was in the process of projecting an body scan on to the white brick wall behind him. "Here. Okay, as you can see from this scan, she seems to be completely human, apart from having-"

"Two hearts." Jack interrupted. His face had gone ashen and a look of shock adorned his features. "She has two hearts."

"Right. Which does not match up with anything in the database. I have no idea what she is." Owen said, exasperated.

"I think I might. Call me when she wakes up," Jack said firmly, as he turned on his heel to walk away. "Ianto, with me. We need to go back and pick up that spacecraft."

"Jack-" Owen called behind him, but he was already half way to the door. Ianto scurried behind him hastily.

"There he goes again. Always a man of mystery." Owen mumbled, peeling of his gloves and tossing them in the bin. "Anyway, I could do for some lunch. I'll order Chinese."

"What about the girl? You're not just going to leave her unattended are you?" Gwen asked.

"Come on Gwen. You heard me before, she's human apart from having an extra heart. She's harmless." Owen scoffed.

As the girl began to slowly drift back into consciousness, she became aware that she was lying on a hard surface. Bright lights peeked through her eyelids, making her fidget uncomfortably. What had happened? The last thing she could remember was her planet... Ah, her beautiful planet. But no, it has been burning. It was dying. All of a sudden, the memories from earlier that day came flooding back. Crashing... Being found... Running... Getting caught- she had gotten caught! Her eyes flew open as she bolted upright, panting. A wave of dizziness flooded over her and she clutched the sides of the table she was on to steady herself. Her ribs still ached uncomfortably and it seemed as though every muscle in her body was a lead weight.

She appeared to be in a small circular lab, with bright lights shining down on the metal table she was sitting on. A computer close by was displaying an image- an scan- of a body. As she moved closer she could see the two hearts, and she sighed nervously. There was no denying it now, they knew she was alien. She could hear laughter drifting in from a room above. Why weren't they watching her?

"I could escape," she mumbled quietly to herself, finding comfort in hearing her own voice. "But they're not that stupid. They'd be waiting for me... Hmm..." She spun around and looked at the computer. Peeking over her shoulder to make sure the coast was clear, she clicked open a program that seemed to display information about the institute she was in. 'Torchwood' as it was called was an organisation dedicated to protecting the human race from alien threats. She followed links presented by the page, reading about the members of the team as well as past cases. They didn't always kill aliens they found, only those that posed a risk to any human lives. That was encouraging. She wasn't planning on killing anyone.

Feeling a surge of sudden bravery, now that she wasn't completely clueless, she decided to go and find the source of laughter, still drifting in from above. As she walked out of the lab, she found herself in a large, high-ceilinged room, with a wide metal column shooting through the centre. The word 'Torchwood' was printed onto the wall at the far side of the room. Computers and desks were dotted around the space, and stairs led up to other levels surrounding the main space. She spotted the others chatting amongst themselves in what looked like a boardroom. She wandered up the stairs that led to the boardroom and stood awkwardly in the doorway, just waiting for them to notice her.

Gwen was giggling softly about the joke Jack had just made, and the snarky comment Owen replied with. She looked up from her half eaten Chinese food and noticed the girl standing in the doorway. She stopped laughing abruptly, but smiled softly at the girl. "Hello," she said sweetly. The others' heads all snapped up instantly, taking in the sight of the girl standing there quietly.

Jack stood up quickly, offering her one of his warmest smiles. "Our guest has finally awoken. Why don't you come and join us?" He asked, gesturing towards a spare seat at the end of the table. Now that she was standing before him, wide-eyed and awake, Jack could fully appreciate her appearance, despite the few blood and dirt smears across her fine-featured face. She had pale white skin that almost appeared to glow slightly when the light shone on it in the right way. Her eyes were an icy-blue colour, rimmed by darker blue. The fear that had once darkened her eyes had now been replaced by a meek curiosity. She had dark auburn hair, that could almost be described as bronze. It flowed down below her shoulders, where the ends curled up in little ringlets.

The girl moved to sit cautiously at the table. The smell of the foreign food assaulted her nostrils and made her feel nauseous.

"Would you like some food?" Gwen asked, noticing her eying the food.

"No... No thank you." She answered uncertainly.

"Coffee, then?" Ianto asked politely.

"I'm okay, I don't need anything." She replied, looking slightly repulsed at the dark, bitter smelling liquid in the others' mugs.

"Right, so, why don't you start off by telling us your name?" Jack questioned.

"My name really is Emily. I wasn't making that part up." She answered quietly.

"Okay, fair enough, Emily. Can you tell us why you're here?" Jack kept his voice level and kind, smiling reassuringly. She was still hesitant to give away information, and she glanced uneasily at all the faces, staring intently at her.

"My planet," she started, "it burned. I escaped. I came here in the escape pod you found. But it's not safe, travelling in that. I was lucky to get away with so few injuries, even though I can't remember much before I landed. I mean no harm to the human race." she finished, looking around the room nervously.

"Good," Jack smiled, "if you mean no harm we can all be friends. But there is one thing I really want to know. You have two hearts... Are you a Time Lord?"

Emily looked at Jack, shocked. "How... How do you know Time Lords have two hearts?" She asked, clearly taken aback.

"But was I right?" Jack asked insistently.

Emily looked at Jack for a long while before answering. "Yes," she said slowly, "I am."

Jack grinned at her. "I used to have a Time Lord friend. He was a great guy..." Jack trailed off, reminiscing.

"Hang on," Owen interrupted, his mouth full of food, "how are you a 'Time Lord'? You look like a girl to me."

The corners of Emily's mouth turned up slightly. "I am as much 'Time Lord' as you are all 'Man'. Collectively." She stated simply.

Tosh piped up then, her voice full of interest. "But if you're from another planet, how can you understand and speak our language?"

"My planet has a lot of intergalactic ties," Emily began explaining. "We have developed technologies that allow us to understand and speak other species' languages instantly."

"Your planet," Jack began, "Gallifrey, right?"

Emily smiled sadly. "Yes. Gallifrey, in the constellation Kasterborous..." She trailed off, her eyes rimming with tears.

"Gallifrey, with its orange sky, and forests with trees of silver," Jack began recounting what he'd heard of the planet before. Jack didn't notice as tears began spilling down Emily's cheeks.

"Jack-" Gwen tried to interrupt him, but he didn't seem to notice and continued.

"And the cities, made of glass... When the suns were shining on the silver trees, it looked like a forest on fire-"

"Stop!" Emily yelled as she stood up. Jack's eyes shot up to her, looking surprised. She drew a shaky breath. "I'm sorry, it's just... I can't-" she stuttered, choking up again. Gwen got up and walked over to her, pulling her into a hug. Emily was surprised, but burrowed her head into Gwen's shoulder thankfully.

"Emily, I'm sorry, I didn't think-" Jack started, looking apologetic.

"It's not your fault," she interrupted him, looking up with watery eyes. "It's just... Everything that's happened lately..." She left her sentence unfinished, staring down at her feet.

"Why don't you come with me, and you can get changed and freshen up a little?" Gwen asked, keeping a positive tone. Emily just nodded as Gwen led her out of the room.

Owen chuckled softly. "Good one, Jack. Who is your Time Lord friend, anyway?" He asked, sounding inquisitive.

"He's my doctor, the only one that can fix me." Jack replied, admiration colouring his tone. Leaving no time for replies, he swiftly walked out of the room.

Owen got up slowly, grumbling something about how 'no one could fix Jack'. He began to walk out of the room, but stopped in the doorway and turned back to look at Ianto. "Oi, tea boy, can we get some more coffee?" Owen snapped rudely, before marching back out.

Ianto sighed. "He just can't be nice, can he?"

Tosh smiled lightly. "But that's just his way of showing affection."

*************************************  
Jack sighed and put his head in his hands. He was sitting in his office, overlooking the hub. A Time Lord. Emily was a Time Lord. He couldn't quite believe it, not just yet. Not until he could get The Doctor to come and see her. But that was his next problem. He had no way of contacting him, unless Emily could somehow.

"What am I going to do with her..." Jack mumbled to himself. They certainly couldn't send her back. They couldn't just let her go, either. He sighed again and sat back in his chair. He had difficult decisions to make.

*************************************  
Emily stood studying herself in the mirror, eyeing the spare set of clothes Gwen had managed to find. She was down in the Hub's change rooms, looking a lot cleaner now that she had been able to shower. Her familiar icy eyes staring back at her from the mirror comforted her, as they were the only things she could recognise on this new planet.

"How are the clothes?" Gwen called, peeking out from behind a door.

"Fine," Emily replied. They were a little too large for her, but the skinny black jeans would suffice being rolled up at the cuffs and the blue tight-fitting top could pass as a loose shirt on her. Her own shoes hadn't been too badly damaged in the crash so she kept her black canvas shoes.

"They look great," Gwen smiled at her encouragingly.

Emily fidgeted uncomfortably. Whatever drugs Owen had given her before were beginning to wear off, and her injuries were demanding to felt. Her head was also pounding, clouding her vision and making it hard to think.

"Now, how about some food? I'm sure you must be starving." Gwen walked out of the room, not waiting for a reply.

Emily didn't feel like eating, but she followed Gwen out nonetheless.

As they walked out into the central part of the hub, the team appeared to have gone back to work. Jack was up in his office, bent over piles of paperwork, Tosh was busy pulling apart some piece of alien tech, Owen was at his desk, busily typing, and Ianto was, as usual, brewing coffee.

Owen looked up as they passed him. "Hey, uh, Emily," he started. "How are you feeling? The painkillers will be wearing off soon, and you did get banged up pretty bad."

"I'm fine." She lied. She hated showing weakness.

Owen looked skeptical, but nodded and went back to typing. He was quite sure she'd regret that decision, but if she didn't trust him, he wasn't going to force anything upon her.

Gwen ushered Emily into a small kitchenette. "What would you like? We have some left over Chinese... Pizza... We really need to get better diets, don't we? Gwen asked, giggling.

Emily smiled. Gwen was making such an effort to lighten the mood, too bad it wasn't working. "You know what, I just really don't feel like eating right now."

Concern flitted across Gwen's face. "You haven't eaten all day," suddenly, her expression changed to a dark look. "I'll tell Owen if you don't eat."

Emily stepped back, surprised. Perhaps the strong front she was putting up was more transparent than she thought. "Are you threatening me?" She narrowed her eyes at Gwen. "You'd tell him anyway whether I ate or not. Besides, why would he care?"

"He may seem unfriendly at times, but he's a good doctor. He takes that seriously, no matter who the patient is," Gwen's expression changed again to an innocent, pleading look. "Please eat?"

Emily sighed. She reached out a hand and grabbed the piece of pizza Gwen was offering her. She took a bite tentatively, not sure what to expect. It didn't taste bad, but as soon as she swallowed, she began to feel nauseous. She wasn't ready for eating again just yet.

At that moment, Jack walked into the kitchenette. "Emily. May I see you in my office?"

Emily nodded, grateful for the excuse not to eat the rest of the pizza. She handed it back to Gwen, who looked displeased, and followed Jack out.

Climbing the steep stairs up into Jack's office was less than pleasant, her muscles screaming with every movement. As she took the last step, face twisted in pain, Jack held out a hand to help her. She took it, grateful.

"You okay?" Jack asked, looking at her with concern.

"Yeah, fine." She puffed, out of breath a little.

Jack looked at her suspiciously. She really was rather transparent in hiding pain. "Okay. Take a seat." He gestured to a chair in front of his desk. "Now, about your future..."

Emily looked up nervously, threading her fingers together. She knew what was coming.

"There is a spare bedroom out the back of the hub, or we could rent you a flat if you'd prefer-"

She blinked in shock. "Wait- you mean I can stay here?!"

Jack grinned. It was good to see her so excited. "Of course, what did you think we'd do, kill you? Turf you out in the cold?"

Yes. That was exactly what she thought they would do. A proper smile graced her features. She hadn't smiled like that in a long time. "Thank you... I- don't know what to say."

Jack chuckled. "You don't have to say anything. You're part of the team now."


End file.
